The Development of an Enhanced School Home Note Intervention: Applying Key Behavioral Parent Training Components to Improve the Outcomes of School Based Behavioral Intervention

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an Enhanced School Home Note (ESHN) intervention as a brief, modified behavioral-parenting training intervention for students with externalizing problems who were non-responsive to a school-home note-as-usual. The ESHN intervention was designed to enhance a common school-based behavioral intervention, the School Home Note (SHN), by incorporating key treatment ingredients found in evidence-based behavioral parent training interventions to improve positive parenting practices to improve student behavior at school. Parents attended three one-on-one coaching sessions that focused on instruction, modeling, and practice of behavior management skills within the context of their child's SHN. Using a single-subject multiple baseline design, the ESHN intervention was shown to reduce levels of disruptive behavior and increase duration of student academic engagement in participants. Social validity results also revealed that both parents and teachers perceived the strategy to acceptable, feasible and effective. Data collected on parenting stress and efficacy was inconclusive. Implications for the use of school-based behavioral parent training interventions, school-home collaboration, and school psychologist and counselor preparation are explored.